Caterpillar fungus, Ophiocordyceps sinensis, is in high demand because of its purported medicinal and aphrodisiac properties. Marketing geniuses are selling it to a world audience as, ‘Himalayan Viagra’. Ophiocordyceps sinensis, is found in the Himalayan mountains in association with Ghost Moth caterpillars of the genus Thitarodes. The caterpillars live underground feeding on roots. The fungus infects the caterpillars and sends a fruiting body out of the head of the deceased caterpillar. The fruiting body is harvested and marketed.

Caterpillar Fungus
Image: Shresthaa and Bawaa, Conservation Biology

Uttam Babu Shresthaa and Kamaljit S. Bawaa discuss the issues of sustainability surrounding the caterpillar fungus harvest in the journal, Biological Conservation*. Interviews with fungus harvesters suggest that the fungus is declining in availability. Its level of harvest may not be sustainable. The authors identify several factors that impact the sustainability of the harvest including decrease in moth and larval populations and change in the soil habitat in ways less favorable to the fungus. Habitat degradation or loss (including decline or loss of host plant) could directly affect caterpillar populations. Potential reasons for habitat degradation include climate change and alteration due to grazing animals. Increased grazing is in part due to fungus harvesters taking their grazing livestock with them into the fungus and caterpillar habitat as they collect the fungus. In many instances, over harvesting is addressed by developing cultivation methods. In the case of Caterpillar Fungus and Ghost Moths, the complex life cycles of the caterpillar and fungus makes commercialization challenging.

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About jjneal

Jonathan Neal is an Associate Professor of Entomology at Purdue University and author of the textbook, Living With Insects (2010).
This blog is a forum to communicate about the intersection of insects with people and policy. This is a personal blog.
The opinions and materials posted here are those of the author and are in no way connected with those of my employer.

2 Responses to Friday Cat-erpillar Blogging: Caterpillar Fungus

There is an interesting article in the August 2012 Issue of National Geographic titled: Tibet’s Golden “Worm”. It describes an economic boom on the Tibetan Plateau created by the highly sought after “Winter worm, Summer grass”.